Detroit Tigers select high school shortstop Kevin McGonigle with No. 37 pick in 2023 MLB draft
The Detroit Tigers selected Monsignor Bonner High School (Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania) shortstop Kevin McGonigle with the No. 37 overall pick, part of Competitive Balance Round A, in the 2023 MLB draft.
McGonigle, 18, was the second pick by the Tigers in this year's draft, following Franklin (Indiana) Community High School outfielder Max Clark with the No. 3 overall pick. Both players are left-handed hitters.
"He is one of the best pure high school hitters in the class," Tigers scouting director Mark Conner said Sunday. "His bat-to-ball skills are up there with probably anybody in the class based on the evaluations of our staff. ... He shows good athleticism playing shortstop right now with quiet, soft feet and good hands. He has a very good baseball tempo and timing to him."
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One National League scout confirmed Conner's evaluation, saying McGonigle "might be best pure hit tool in the entire class." The childhood Philadelphia Phillies fan — his favorite player growing up was Chase Utley — turns 19 in August.
He hit .530 with eight doubles, four triples, six home runs, 32 walks and two strikeouts in 25 games as a senior in high school. He was named Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year.
"He is what you classify as a baseball player, a baseball rat," Conner said. "He is good at playing the game. This is one of our favorite players that our area scout was around all year. He had been pounding the table on his makeup. He's wired the right way."
McGonigle played for Team USA in the under-18 World Cup last September, hitting .240 (6-for-25) with one home run, five walks and three strikeouts in nine games. The United States beat Chinese Taipei, 5-1, to claim the gold medal.
The No. 37 overall pick, used on McGonigle, comes with an MLB-determined bonus slot value of $2,309,500.
The Tigers believe McGonigle can stay at shortstop, despite below-average range, and will use him at that position when he begins his minor-league career, rather than moving him to second base.
"He has very good footwork, very good hands and plenty of arm to play on the left side of the diamond," Conner said. "He also has the ability to go to the right side of the diamond and play second base, so there is some versatility aspect to him. But we view him as a shortstop."
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers select high school shortstop Kevin McGonigle at No. 37
